Exhibition Text

The Earl Street Journal – now in the 8th iteration – is a survey exhibition of significance, diverse in character but emphatic as a powerful example of the dynamic breadth and international stature of New Zealand art.

Robert Ellis’Aperira (1983) chants the cultural heart of our history and our future, likewise Israel Birch in Atakura (2016/17) and Tai Aroha (Red) (2017) delivers mutable moments of hide and reveal magic that reach across traditions and time. Chris Heaphy’sNow and Forever (2016) charts a silhouetted future comprised of memory cues and cultural symbols while resolutely addressing the pertinence of the past.

The unique moods, atmospheres, differences and location particularities of the New Zealand landscape are witnessed in key works by Neil Frazer, Wayne Barrar, Simon Edwards, Bruce Hunt and Dick Frizzell.

The major and very distinctive contributions of J S Parker and Ian Scott to New Zealand art sit alongside the poetic celebrations of Karl Maughan, Reuben Paterson, Ann Robinson and Layla Walter.